Method and apparatus for use of heat taken up at low temperature

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the use of heat taken up at low temperature is disclosed wherein a flow of transfer medium is passed through a low temperature heat source to absorb heat. The flow then passes through multiple, sequential stages of a heat pump which successively increase in temperature whereby the flow picks up heat. The flow then releases heat to the heat receiver and subsequently passes through multiple sequential degassing stages of the heat pump. The flow releases evaporation heat and is cooled to a suitable temperature for use in the low temperature heat source. The heat pump preferably includes a two substance mixture provided within a two portion, hermetically sealed chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for utilizing heat taken up at relatively low temperature, which heat is transferred at a higher temperature to a heat receiver, via the intermediary of a multistage absorption heat pump, and in which absorption stages of the absorption heat pump are regenerated periodically by relatively high temperature heat, comprising the steps of: passing a flow of heat transfer medium through a source of relatively low temperature heat to absorb heat;   passing the heat transfer medium through multiple sequential absorption stages of the absorption heat pump, which stages increase in temperature from stage to stage, said medium picking up absorption heat and being thereby heated to a temperature required for the heat receiver;   transferring heat from the heat transfer medium to the heat receiver;   subsequently passing the heat transfer medium through multiple sequential degassing stages of the absorption heat pump, which degassing stages are coordinated with the respective absorption stages, and thereby using said heat transfer medium to release heat of vaporization and cooling said heat transfer medium to a suitable temperature for use in the source of relatively low temperature heat; and   regenerating a relatively weak solution of a pair of working substances in the degassing stages and a relatively strong solution of the pair of working substances in the absorber stages by flowing the heat transfer medium at a relatively high temperature through the absorber stages, each operating now as a separator, whereby the relatively weak solution is driven off from the relatively strong solution and is then condensed in the respective associated degassing stage, now operating as a resorber, said condensation being accompanied by the liberation of heat which is removed from the relatively weak solution, the flow of the heat transfer medium which has been cooled in this manner being fed to a heat receiver, and wherein the return flow from said heat receiver is then passed through the degassing stage which is now operating as a resorber, whereby said flow picks up the heat of condensation and is subsequently reheated.   
     
     
       2. An absorption heat pump with at least one degassing unit in which a cooling medium from a weak solution of a pair of working substances is evaporated, and at least one absorber connected to said degassing unit, in which absorber the cooling medium which has been vaporized is absorbed by a strong solution, comprising: a plurality of individually associated degassing stages and absorber stages, each pair of the degassing and the absorber stages being set at different evaporation and absorption temperatures and having a common vapor space, each associated degassing stage and absorber stage together comprising a chamber which is hermetically sealed to the outside, each chamber being filled with a pair of working substances, and being adjusted to a desired pressure, the chamber walls of the degassing stages being configured in the form of a first sequential flow path for a heat transfer medium, while the chamber walls of the absorber stages are configured in the form of a second sequential flow path which is separate from the first sequential flow path.   
     
     
       3. The absorption heat pump according to claim 2 wherein the chambers are in the form of a disc-like structure; and each absorber stage is disposed in the inner region of each respective chamber and each degassing stage is disposed in the outer region of each respective chamber. 
     
     
       4. The absorption heat pump according to claim 3 wherein each chamber has at least one pass-through opening in the interiorly disposed absorber stage, for the associated flow path. 
     
     
       5. The absorption heat pump according to claim 4 wherein each of the disc-shaped chambers is round, and wherein each chamber includes a separating wall and a deflecting wall inside the chamber, and also wherein an insulating wall is provided between adjacent chambers, said chambers being concentrically disposed with respect to one another. 
     
     
       6. The absorption heat pump according to claim 5 wherein each of the chambers is disposed in a cell of a container which is subdivided by intermediate walls, and wherein the flow path for the degassing stage of each cell runs from the outer surface of the insulating wall to the inner surface of the wall of the container and back, while the flow path for the absorption stage of each cell runs from the inner surface of the insulating wall to the central pass-through opening and back; and in that on both sides of the insulating wall there are pass-through openings in the intermediate walls. 
     
     
       7. The absorption heat pump according to claim 2 wherein the chamber is a combination of two deep-drawn sheet metal pans, with a double separating wall being built into the lower sheet metal pan and at least one deflecting wall being built into the upper sheet metal pan. 
     
     
       8. The absorption heat pump according to claim 2 wherein the chamber has a large number of tube-like pass-through openings for the flow paths, with said openings being disposed in large numbers both in the inner, absorber stage and in the outer, degassing stage. 
     
     
       9. The absorption heat pump according to claim 7 wherein each of the chambers of the respective absorption stages is provided within a container, with an inner ring-shaped insulating wall and a ring-shaped outer wall being mounted intermediately of each chamber. 
     
     
       10. The absorption heat pump according to claim 9 wherein the chambers and the cells each have ring configurations with a burner disposed in the region of the absorption stages having relatively lower evaporation and absorption temperatures, said burner being disposed within the ring-shaped cells; and, further comprising a water container disposed in the region of the absorption stages with relatively higher evaporation and absorption temperatures, said water container being also disposed within the ring-shaped cells. 
     
     
       11. The absorption heat pump according to claim 10 wherein the outlet of flow path is in fluid communication with the inlet of the heat exchanger disposed inside the water container, said communication being via the absorber stages and a pipe; and wherein the heat receiver is connected to the outlet of said heat exchanger. 
     
     
       12. The absorption heat pump according to claim 11 wherein the outlet of the flow path which passes through the degassing stages is selectively connectable to the inlet of the flow path which passes through the absorber stages, said connection being by way of a pilot valve. 
     
     
       13. The absorption heat pump according to claim 9 wherein the inlet of the flow path which passes through the absorber stages is selectively connectable to a pipe which comes from a low temperature source, and to a pipe which comes from a heating vessel, said connection being via a multiway valve; and wherein the outlet of the flow path passing through the depassing stages is selectively connectable to a pipe which leads to the low temperature source, and to a pipe which leads to the heating vessel.